Collapsible display container with automatic lock



March 5, 1929. 0, T L 1,704,377

COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY CONTAINER WITH AUTOMATIC LOCK Filed Aug. 28, 1926 ZSheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Edward 0. 12725202 QQMMB: ATTORNEY March 5, 1929- E. o. TINSLEY 1,704,377

COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY CONTAINER WITH AUTOMATIC LOCK Filed Aug. 28, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet Edward 0.1272528 INVENTOR Q) ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,704,377 PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD OGDEN TINSLEY, OF NEW YORK: N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT GAIR GOM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COLLQSIBLE DISPLAY CONTAINER WITH AUTOMATIC LOCK.

Application filed August 28, 1926. 'Serial No. 132,214.

My present invention relates to an improvement in counter display devices for advertising wares of various kinds and comprises in its essential details of structure a simply made, quickly set-up means whereby the device may be shipped in a perfectlycompact flat folded condition in large quan tities and may be readily set up with a simple movement.

When thus erected, the device becomes very stable and may be mounted on a counter or other suitable place for the display of goods thereon or for advertising in conjunction t-herewith.

One of the advantages of my construction is in that the article as made may be compactly folded or knocked down and when in such condition will be substantially rectangular in form and fiat so that large quantities of these devices may be packed for convenience in shipment.

Another advantage of my device relates to the manner in which the article ma be assembled and erected, and by a simple orm of construction, which is embodied in an automatic locking means the device may be locked, erected, under tension, for display purposes. e

Another advantage lies in the construction of my device whereby the blank may be readily cut out in a single operation by well known means, is printable on one face thereof and by the addition of a few simple scores, is ready, immediately, for display purposes.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a preferred form of my device in erected position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is another outline, of the same construction showing the device in the form of a bottle.

Fig. 4: is another form erected showing the device in the form of a rectangular package such as a cracker package.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is'a blank layout of the bottle form. Fig. -7 is a rear view showing the device in collapsed condition.

Fig. 8 shows the rear of an erected displgy, and e ig. 9 is the device in shipping condition. By referring to Fig. 6, which is a blank layout of the entire device and is constructed of eardboard of any suitable thickness, the device comprises substantially, a contoured face or display portion generally denoted by 1 which may be of any suitable contour, such as a head, shoulders and body shown in Fig. 1, a bottle as shown in Figs. 3, 6,} 7, 8 and 9 or a simulation of a cracker box as shown in Fig. 4..

' On the opposite side of the contoured mam or face portion of the device and the modifications are arranged two foldable support pieces 1 and 5 both of which are scored by the lines 6 and 7 so that they may be engageably folded toward one another as lndicated in Fig. '7. It will be noted that the support tab 4 is provided with two slots 8 8 which are in opposition to and in registry with two outstandin notched locklng tabs 9 9 which are attac ed to the support tab 5J1 These tabs 99 which are part of the support 5 and are unscored and have the down-hanging short foldable lockin flaps 101O which are integral with an are scored to the tabs 9 by the scores 11-11 so that these may be hingedly folded u wardly when they are introduced into the slots 8.

When in the assembly position shown in Fig. 7 these tabs are normally folded back and are held so by the slots 88 and when the front face 1 is sprung, the flaps 4 and 5 are brought together as indicated in Fig. 8 whereupon the short, scored tabs '10 s ring downwardly, as there shown, thereby orming locking notches 1212 which engage the lower edges of the slots. 8 and thereby lock the face piece 1 in tensioned position as indicated by sectional view, Fi 2.

vBy this assembly action it will %e noted that the base of the device is formed of the bottom edges of the two flaps 4 and 5 and of the front spring face 5 forming a substantially more or less crescent-like base edge portion upon which the device may stand erect upon a counter for display parel thereby giving the effect of a person wearing a shirt or otherarticle, or the similitudes of these articles may be printed thereon.

In the modified form shown in Fi 4 the general structure is the same as t at described for Figs. 1, 6 and 9, with the exception that a light score 13 may be made down the front face 1 so that when the front face 1 is bent and tensioned at the score it may artake of substantially rectangular form as indicated in the sectional view 5 and this front display face may be printed in the similitude of a cracker box or the like thereby to represent the article so being advertised.

In its essence it will be ascertained that my device consists of a flat blank having four sections comprising a contoured, foldable advertising front transversely scoredat any desirable point for folding at some point in its display length, and two automatically looking back support flaps which when in operative position, form, with the lower portion of the face 1, a sup orting structure of suitable breadth and stahility.

It will also be ascertained that the function of the structure is such that it may be shipped in flat, knocked down rectangular form, withoutany contour protrusions, and

will be readily erected by operating the device along those various score lines so that in either of the face forms shown, the tendency of the front face is to remain under tension thereby straining the automatic locks 9--9 and causing the device, when erected, to remain in rigid and upstanding osition.

In the operation of the locks rom the fiat to the erectable positions, it will be noted in Fig. 7 that the flaps 10 are folded upwardly on the score lines 11 and in this fiat position they are half introduced into the s ots 8 the said fla s 10 being thereby placed under tension an constrained in bent or folded position.

Upon desiring to erect the device, the edges 6 and 7 are squeezed together and this forces the flaps 9, constrained, inwardly and causes the front face 1 to bulge. Immediately the flaps 10 are released from their constrained position, they spring downwardly, thereby engaging the lower portion of the slots 8-8 and under the front face tension are thereby locked and held so until released urposely, for packing, etc., as shown in ig. 8.

In the folded or knocked down condition, it will be noted that the contoured upper portion 3, which may have any outline, representative ofan desired article to be advertised, is folde into and is the substantially rectangular oyver body, thereby enablin the shipment of these in bulk,'without su stantial injury to the contoured up er portion, shown in Fig. 9.

It shop (1 be understood that modifications rotected by and variations of the device may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus what I claim is:

1.- In a foldabl formed display device, in

described my invention,

c'ombinatipn, a ront face portion free on vice being foldable for shipment by disposing of the support members so that they lie flat against the rear of the front face portion and in alinement and spaced apart at their free sides by engagement of said tabs and flaps in said slots and disposing the display portion fiat against the support member, the device being erected for display by folding the display portion to normal position and bending the front face and display portions outwardly while saidmembers are fiatlydisposed on the front face portion, so that the front face portion is arcuate in cross-section and brings said members into contact at their free sides and under tension of the bent front face portion, the flaps of said locking means then automaticall moving to position for lockin the tabs in said slots'and the support mem ers in contact at their free sides for maintain-ing the device in erect display form.

2. In a foldably formed device, in combination, supporting members each having a free side, and means cooperating between the free sides of sand members for maintaining members in free-side to free-side relation in the same plane and spaced slightly apart at their free sides when said members are free from tension tending to separate .them at their free sides and for automatically locking said members in contact at their free sides when said members are forced into contact at their free sides and subsequently subjected to tension tending to separate them at their free sides.

' 3. In a foldably formed device, in combination, supporting members each having a free side, and means consistin of slots appurtenant to the free side 0 one of said members and means appurtenant to the free side of the other of said members and insertible in said slots for maintaining said members in free-side to free-side relation in the same plane and spaced slightly apart at their free sides when said'members are free from tension tendin to separate them at their free sides and-for automatically looking said members in contact at their free.

a associated with sai sides when said members are forced into contact at their free sides and subsequently subjected to tensions tending to separate them at their free sides. I

4. A display device formed by folding and includin a front face portion, support members foldably connected to front face portion and disposed flat on the front face portion for shippin the device, and means support members and normally tensioned by said sup ort members when the device is in collapsed position for maintaining the sup ort members connected to each other when lsposed flat on the front face portion and for automatically locking the support members in supporting position u on fiexure of said front ace portion only, W lden the device is changed from collapsed position to display position.

5. A display card of the class described comprising a front member, a back consisting of two members, and interlocking means, normally tensioned relative to said back members when the device is in collapsed position, associated with said back members, flexure of said front member only, rendering said interlocking means operative to retain said front member in flexed osition. 6. A display card of the class escribed comprising a front member, a back consisting of two members, interlocking means on one of said back members normally tensioned by the other back member when the card is in collapsed condition, flexure of said front member only, rendering said interlocking means 0 erative to retain said front member in flex osition.

Signed at New ork in the county of New York and State of New York, this 27th day of August, A. D. 1926.

EDWARD OGDEN TINSLEY. 

